1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of computer implemented account tracking, processing, and management. The techniques are applicable to diverse fields.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the advent of the Internet, a wide variety of computer implemented methods of tracking customer activity, fulfilling customer orders, and the like have been implemented or proposed. In some cases, these methods include the creation of user specific accounts which include various types of information about the customer, and which help define, at least in part, the nature of a system user's interaction with the system.
One specific area which involves extensive account maintenance and monitoring is the securities trading environment. In these systems, an example of which is provided in FIG. 1, client investors of an investment advisor firm maintain accounts for trading corporate securities.
FIG. 1, which consists of 1A, 1B, and 1C, illustrates present technology for the infrastructure of an example financial management system which may be utilized by an investment advisory firm. At the Investment Advisor (IA) site 102, a local area network (LAN) 104 comprised of servers 106, workstations 108, and telecommunication and network connection equipment 110 is installed. The servers 106 allow the investment advisor firm to store and retrieve data for internal and external purposes. The workstations 108 provide the investment advisor firm with terminals from which to execute programs and enable the end-user to connect to outside data sources such as remote servers 112 through the Internet/Network 114. The telecommunication and network connection equipment 110 allows the investment advisor firm to connect to outside sources of information and services such as custodian banks, analysis firms, clearing houses, and securities broker/dealers. Under this configuration, the investment advisor firm executes application programs from several different locations, servers and/or workstations. It is the responsibility of the investment advisor firm to install and maintain the hardware and software for all equipment and programs at the investment advisor site 102.
FIG. 2 illustrates how the IA business presently consists of 12 core processes. The exact method each IA uses to complete these processes varies from shop to shop. As a result the actual number of steps for performing each one of the 12 processes can vary from shop to shop. The 12 core processes required for the IA are the very basics and essentials of its business. To implement each of these 12 processes requires proper procedures and passing of information from each process to the next.
To open an account 202, all relevant information about the client and his/her account is recorded. This information will include among other data, name, addresses, account type, contact information, compliance restrictions, billing information, custodian bank details, legal information and broker/dealer (B/D) requirements in addition to security and cash holdings. Different elements of the client account information will be used in each of the 12 processes. The relevant information for a user is presently not available in an efficient manner.
When an new account is opened for a client, the IA will record all of the new client holdings 204. These can include equity and/or fixed income securities, mutual fund shares and cash. As each new trade is executed for a client, the IA may record the result in the client's account.
Next, the IA should receive a record of the client's holdings at the custodian 206 and reconcile. Securities and cash owned by each client are held by a custodian bank and not by the IA. The custodian bank maintains records for each client showing these holdings. The records of the IA preferably match the records of the custodian bank for each client. Whenever a new account is opened for a new client, there may be a delay in receiving the information from the custodian bank and recording the client's initial holdings. During this delay, the client's holdings may change. Moneys can be added and/or withdrawn and securities traded. After an account is opened, the correct 207 step takes place. The IA must reconcile its client account information with the custodian bank's information on a regular basis. If the IA had a different record of holdings than the record of the custodian 206, then the IA will see the inconsistency and notify the custodian 208. Account reconciliation can be done daily, weekly or monthly. This will depend upon how often the custodian bank makes the client's data available and how much time the IA has available to reconcile accounts. Presently the IA does not have information regarding a client's holdings at the custodian bank on a real time basis. The IA therefore does not know exactly what funds are available to be invested and may be recording inaccurately the securities in the client's account. Any systems that may potentially allow for a real time reconciliation require tremendous resources for the IA and the custodian to be able to communicate and make such information available to each other.
At the end of the month (E.O.M.) or the end of the quarter (E.O.Q.), the IA runs special routines. If it is the end of the month or the end of the quarter, the E.O.M. OR E.O.Q. step 224 will perform certain operations. If it is not the end of the month or end of the quarter, the next step will be performed. At the E.O.M. the IA runs performance information for each client's account, obtains equity security split and dividend information, updates fixed income securities payment information, reconciles client account information with the custodian bank records, etc. At the E.O.Q. the IA performs the E.O.M. routines plus run the client billing. IAs typically bill clients on a quarterly system on the basis of average assets under management during the quarter. The billing process includes reconciling all client account information with the custodian bank's records. The IA should determine if there have been any additions and/or withdrawals in the accounts during the quarter and if so make appropriate billing adjustments from the day the adjustment occurred to the end of the quarter. The IA should prepare and distribute necessary client account statements and reports.
A portfolio manager (PM) performs trade identification 210. A PM will use various analytic tools to determine what trade he/she wants to make. The analytical decision to buy or sell is based on extensive research by the PM. The PM researches and studies the thousands of different companies and investment vehicles that are available. The PM will need to analyze company specific data to make the investment decision.
The PM's will also make investment decisions based on the investment objectives that the client agreed to with the PM when the account was opened.
The PM will next review holdings positions for any buy/sell 212. Once a PM decides on a trade he/she wants to execute for his/her clients, he/she must refer back to the client account information for each client to determine which client accounts can participate in the trade, e.g. sufficient cash or any restrictions preventing the trade for the client account. The PM must determine which accounts to include in the trade taking into consideration account restrictions. The process of referring to account information and parsing it to see how many client accounts can do the trade remains a largely manual process. Even if the information is already in some electronic format, the PM has to refer back to each account, identify any constraints and compare these constraints against the trade details to determine the clients which are eligible to participate. Ideally, the trade details would automatically be compared against a database holding the client account information to identify clients which are not able to participate. Whenever the PM decides to place an order, the PM must pass the order to the trader for execution.
Under the step of pass orders to trader for execution 214, the PM creates a formal request for the trader. This formal request to execute an order passes all relevant trade details and all regulatory requirements. The trader should be able to execute and act upon the PM's request at anytime during trading hours.
Under the step of execute order until complete 216, the trader then must decide how to execute this trade, either as a single order or combine this order with another identical order and create a block order. One factor the trader may identify in constructing the trade is the particular designated B/D requirements for each client. A client may specify that all of its trades or some percentage be directed to a specific B/D.
Once the trader has determined how many trades go to each B/D, he/she will either call a B/D or use an online system for a particular B/D to place the trade. The online system may require the trader to re-key the trade request into the B/D's proprietary system or perform some “cut and paste” operation to move the data electronically into the online system. The trader needs to be able to transmit order requests correctly to the B/D in each B/D's format for execution. The trader preferably should be able to simultaneously manage several orders with multiple B/Ds.
The trade correct 218 then has the trader verify that the order was correctly executed by the B/D. The order should reflect the correct order parameters such as buy or sell, quantity, price or market request (e.g. at the market or limit). The correct trade with broker &/or custodian 220 requires the trader to record the time and report information from the B/D upon notification from the B/D. If the order is not correct, it is the responsibility of the trader to notify the B/D of any errors and correct the order. The trader passes the trade to the settlement area in order to settle the trade.
To settle trade 222, a portfolio assistant will then take the trade details and confirm the information with the B/D and the custodian. Any information which does not match needs to be reconciled until the order matches. The portfolio assistant will have to provide settlement details for the security and cash payments. Each client account can have multiple clearing instructions depending upon the security being sold/purchased. The correct settlement instructions should be reflected for each client participating in the trade. The settlement instructions should be provided by the IA to the custodian bank and the B/D. The custodian bank and the B/D should agree on the settlement of the trade. All regulatory requirements should be satisfied when settling a trade. DTC eligible trades should be affirmed i.e. approved, for the trade to settle.
Once all the trades have settled, the information should be posted into all the relevant client accounts.
In addition, a user will perform E.O.D/E.O.T. routines 222. At the end of the day (E.O.D.) or end of the trade (E.O.T.), the trader will generate a report to comply with all regulatory requirements. The trader has to notify the PM regarding the completion of the trade, which includes the price of the trade.
Other environments have similar account tracking requirements. In the retail sales environment, for example, a set of core processes can be defined that are fundamental parts of retail sales. In these and other environments, existing art today is cumbersome and addresses only segments of identified core processes. It consists of components that separately handle distinct tasks. No one program or set of programs completely addresses and handles core processes of an enterprise from start to finish. The solutions today address each process and provide a solution as if it was an isolated body of information not connected to the next. The connections between programs are not seamless or do not exist at all. For the most part the data has to be manually re-entered upon the commencement of the next process.
Thus, the transition from one of the core processes to another identifies a break in the flow that requires information to be moved from a process to the next process. The data may be moved (1) manually to the next process by re-keying the information into the system to be used in the next process, (2) by a “cut & paste” approach in which data will be electronically “cut” from one system and “pasted” into the next system by the user, or (3) by electronically moving the information by manually invoking a program that will take as input a file and then pass the information on to the next process.
Regardless of the approach, each time a system user has to move to the next process there is a break in the flow of information. This can translate into one piece of information, such as the client account number, being keyed into different systems as the IA moves from one process to the next. This is known as a “portage”. Each portage or break and re-entry of data represents an possible risk of error and an inefficiency because it is an added step in running the business as the user moves from each process to the next.